On Monday morning, our second day in Kenya, we ate a delicious breakfast at our hotel before being transported by our driver, George, to Giraffe Manor. Every single detail at Giraffe Manor was just so... precise and beautiful. From the giraffe shaped water pitchers to the culinary presentations to the incredible amenities, every aspect of our stay was truly unbelievable. When we arrived, we were given refreshing drinks on the lawn as we were checked in. From this vantage point, we could see several of the giraffes in the neighboring forest with whom we would become familiar over the next two days. We settled into our first room, the Finch Hatton Suite, and toured the grounds before enjoying an amazing lunch. After lunch, our attendant, Collins, arranged for us to visit the Giraffe Centre next door to meet a few of the residents and learn more about their species. Our guide at the Centre, Brian, taught us about Rothschild giraffes and brought us to the forest where they sleep during the night. Once back at the Manor, we were able to visit more with some of the giraffes, such as Edd and Betty, during tea time. We quickly learned quirks for a few of the creatures, such as Edd's aggression while eating (he uses his teeth!) and Daisy's disdain for children (though, gladly, nothing happened with our girls). Dinner, again, was absolutely delectable and came with a surprise: the staff sang happy birthday to our girls and brought out a cake! As we settled in for the evening, we expected a full night of rest. Unfortunately, the girls decided otherwise and we were up most of the night - either in part from their talking or from their nerves over unfamiliar noises in the night.
DAY THREE
Tuesday morning brought our first experience of breakfast with the giraffes. What an adventure! Because our suite was in the Garden House, we were able to feed the giraffes from the Manor patio. We were greeted by Edd, Lily, and Betty. Daisy even made her way over to us, but took one look at the girls and decided not. After the giraffes had had their fill, we ventured into the dining room of the Garden House for our own breakfast. Mid-morning, we ventured out with our driver, George, in search of souvenirs. We spent a while at Utamaduni market, browsing goods until each discovered something of interest. The girls even found a playground to play on! We arrived back at the Manor in time for lunch - another delicious spread of food. Following lunch, we were taken to our second room, the Karen Blixen suite. We had just enough time in our new room to journal briefly and change before we were on our way out and about again. This time, we were taken to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a local elephant and wild animal orphanage. We watched as a dozen or so "little" elephants came barreling home from their day in the forest. Each went directly to their own pen to enjoy a delicious treat before bed. The younger elephants were kept in closer proximity and even had a bunk in their quarters for a keeper to stay the night. It was incredible to see the amount of work that this organization has put into conservancy. Back at Giraffe Manor, we ate dinner out on the Manor patio before retiring for the evening. The second night brought on much better sleep...
